Electrically-operated animal-trap.



R. L. BARNHART.

ELBGTRIOALLY OYBRATED ANIMAL TRAP APPLICATION TILED APB.] 9, 1911.

1,020,341 Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

a E H FR INVENTOR or v flwf 1 WITNESSES R. L. BARNHART.

' ELEOTRIOALLY OPERATED ANIMAL TRAP.

' APPLICATION TILED APB. 1B, 1911. 1,020,341

2 BHEBQB-SHEET 2 INVENTOI? 1Z06e7'tl.Bar7z7zar&

Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

m 8 m w W ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPN COHWASHINGTON. D. C.

ROBERT L. BARNHART, OF CHARLEROI, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED ANIMAL-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

Application filed April 19, 1911. Serial No. 622,137.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT L. BARNIIAR'J, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Charleroi, in the county of \Vashington andState of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and ImprovedElectrically-Operated Animal-Trap, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to animal traps, my more particular purpose beingto produce a rat trap in which the rat is killed by an electric currentand the body of the rat is antomatically dropped into a receptacle forthis purpose.

My invention further relates to various improvements in animal traps,and particularly in rattraps employing an electric current for killingthe rat.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which like characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a sideelevation partly broken away, showing my improved rat trap; Fig. 2 is avertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction ofthe arrow; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the trap complete, andis taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in thedirection of the arrow; Fig. 4 is a detail, showing in section, one pairof electrically energized trap doors; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentarysection on the line 55 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrow.

The body of the trap is shown at 6, and has generally the form of a box.It contains a removable drawer 7 provided with a handle 8 and adapted toreceive the bodies of the rats. A gallery 9 encircles the body portionof the trap. A roof 10 is also provided for the trap. Connected withthis roof and depending from it is a Wire cage 11 in which may beimprisoned a number of living rats to serve as decoys. Mounted uponbearings 12 and insulated from the cage 11, and from various otherparts, is a number of trap doors 13 made of metal and each provided witha portion 14 extending downwardly and curved slightly, the curvaturerepresenting an arc of a circle. The cage 11 has a bottom 12 about levelwith the trap doors 13. Engaging each trap door 13 upon its under sideis a leaf spring 13*, the strength of which barely suflices to keep theupper portion of the trap door approximately level, as indicated in Fig.4. Each trap door 13 carries a bait hook 15 for supporting a bait 16.

Adjacent to each trap door 13 is another trap door 15 provided with anarrow portlOll 16 integral with it. This trap door is journalcd upon awire 20 which serves the purpose of a number of pivot pins and isinsulated from various metallic parts adjacent to it. Engaging the underside of the trap door 15 is a leaf spring 17", the strength of which isjust sutlicient to keep the trap door 15 levelthat is, substantially inregistry with the upper portion of the trap door 13. Each trap door 15is associated with an opening 18 through which it extends, as will beunderstood from Fig. 4. I provide quite a number of these openings 18.They are on substantially the same level as the gallery 9 (see Fig. 1).The cage 11 is provided with a bottom 12 for supporting rats or otherliving animals within the cage 11.

The various doors 13 are mounted upon a wire 19 which extends in theform of a square loop entirely around the cage 11. The wire 20 extendsaround the cage 11, but at a greater distance than the wire 19, fromsaid cage. Connected with the wires 19, 20 are two other wires 21, 22.These lead to binding posts 24, 25, which are mounted upon a board 23.Other binding posts 26, 27 are mounted upon this board and are incommunication with the binding posts 2 1,25. Four electric lamps 28 aremounted at the four corners of the body portion 6, and are so arrangedas to shed a diffused light. At 2S are braces used for supporting thelamps 28. The binding posts 26, 27 are connected with any suitableelectrodes of opposite sign, and in which the ditlerence of potential issufficient to kill a rat. Two runways 29 extend from the floor to thegallery'9 for enabling the rats to reach this gallery.

The operation of my device is as follows2-Pieces of bait 16 are mountedupon the various bait hooks 15 and the several mechanical parts abovedescribed being properly arranged and adjusted, the apparatus is readyfor use. If the operator s0 desires, he can place rats for use asdecoys, or other living animals for use as bait, in the cage 11.Suppose, now, that a rat is attracted by the bait. The animal approachesand walks up a runway 29 to the gallery 9. He next passes through one ofthe openings 18, and in doing this his weight rests upon the trap door15 After the center of gravity of the rat passes the wire 20, the trapdoor tilts. The rat then slides or rolls obliquely downward, the door 15assuming the position indicated in Fig. 4. The rat in sliding or rollingdownwardly touches the portion 14. The animals body thus forms a bridgebetween the trap doors 13 and 15 The following circuit is thus completed:source of electricity, binding post 27, binding post 25, wire 21, wire19, trap door 13, body of rat, trap door 15*, wire 20, wire 22, bindingposts 2& and 26, thence back to source of electricity. The rat beingsubjected to the action of the currentthus traced is instantly killed.His weight being now thrown partly upon the portion 1 1 of the trap door13, this trap door is tilted and the body of the rat is precipitatedinto the drawer 7 The trap doors 15 and 13 are now restored to normalposition by action of the springs 15", 13 and the trap is now ready forfurther use.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that the trap ispractically always set and that it is selfsetting, both as regards tothe electric current, the bait employed and the positions of the trapdoors.

I do not limit myself to the sizes indicated for the various parts, norto the precise details shown, as various changes may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. An animal trap comprising a pair of trapdoors movable independently of each other, and means for completing anelectric circuit from one of said doors through the body of the animalto be trapped and through the other door.

2. An animal trap comprising a trap door, a bait hook mounted thereuponand movable therewith for the purpose of holding bait, another trap doordisposed adjacent to said first1nentioned trap door, and means forcompleting an electric circuit through both of said trap doors andthrough the body of the animal to be trapped.

3. An animal trap comprising a trap door made of metal and provided witha portion extending downwardly, said portion being bent into arcuateform, another trap door provided with a portion extending toward theportion thus bent and adapted to swing in close proximity to the bentportion, and means for completing an electric circuit through the bodyof an animal and through both of said trap doors including saidbentportion.

In. testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT L. BARNHART.

WVitnesses:

HARRY H. DAVIS, M. J. MCGUIRE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

